Funny - this very evening I set up a pair of Audioengine 5s. So I can't help responding, even I cannot provide the desired comparison. My new speakers are installed in a tiny kitchen, on top of the refigerator. They are driven by a Zune - Microsoft's Ipod clone. I like the sound very much, and the esthetics/workmanship are very high. Overall, they exceed my expectations, especially considering the price (alas, the same in euros as the US price in dollars). I only wish the power switch was in the front. The USB charging port is a nice feature.
I sometimes listen to the Zune through Grado SR125 headphones, so I think that I understand the limitations of the MP3 player and format. Given this, I would say that the AE5s are very nice bookshelf amplifier-speakers, but by no stretch of the imagination do they qualify as audiophile grade. Just for yuks, I set the AE5s up in the living room first, next to the Klipsch RF5s which are driven by my home-built 300B single-ended monblocks. These are tricked out with lots of "boutique" components (Blacks Gates, Jensens, etc.) and get their inputs from an SB3 via a battery-powered Monica2 DAC. I played the same tunes through the SB3/Flac and the Zune/MP3. Well...let's just say that the Audioengines are going to remain on kitchen duty. moshulu -- moshulu ------------------------------------------------------------------------ moshulu's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=6811 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=33632 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
